Column: Sports are unpredictable

Published: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 at 08:28 PM.

Headed into Week 4, I’m 10-20. I almost felt bad about this until I remembered one of the reasons why I love sports so: they’re unpredictable.

While I can have a good idea about who may come out on top based off last week’s performances, I never know what can actually happen. I love that aspect, but it doesn’t help if I want to win that fancy lunch Free Press Editor Bryan Hanks and I bet on ---whoever has the best prep picks record will be the victor. I’m hoping that it’ll be me.

But it’s not looking so good.

Prep football predictions are kind of like gambles. Perhaps not like the slot machines or the lottery, but maybe it’s comparable to poker. In poker, you have a say-so in what you bet and why you think it’s going to work. The outcome, however, is determined by an unknown combination of cards.

Prep football wins --- or losses --- are determined by a number of uncontrollable factors, such as injuries, unforeseen breakthroughs and unpredictable errors or fortunes. We’ve seen a combination of all in the first few weeks.

Injuries have plagued Ayden-Grifton, the team I chose to lead the Eastern Carolina 2A conference this year. The Chargers are last in the conference, and position no one would have ever anticipated.

Headed into Week 4, I’m 10-20. I almost felt bad about this until I remembered one of the reasons why I love sports so: they’re unpredictable.

While I can have a good idea about who may come out on top based off last week’s performances, I never know what can actually happen. I love that aspect, but it doesn’t help if I want to win that fancy lunch Free Press Editor Bryan Hanks and I bet on ---whoever has the best prep picks record will be the victor. I’m hoping that it’ll be me.

But it’s not looking so good.

Prep football predictions are kind of like gambles. Perhaps not like the slot machines or the lottery, but maybe it’s comparable to poker. In poker, you have a say-so in what you bet and why you think it’s going to work. The outcome, however, is determined by an unknown combination of cards.

Prep football wins --- or losses --- are determined by a number of uncontrollable factors, such as injuries, unforeseen breakthroughs and unpredictable errors or fortunes. We’ve seen a combination of all in the first few weeks.

Injuries have plagued Ayden-Grifton, the team I chose to lead the Eastern Carolina 2A conference this year. The Chargers are last in the conference, and position no one would have ever anticipated.

South Lenoir defeated a previously undefeated North Duplin team. As several in the community have already reminded me, I picked against the Blue Devils for a third week in a row.

I picked Greene Central to win the week they lost to C.B. Aycock on a late-game field goal.

Come on now.

Knowledge is behind sports predictions, but so is luck, and I don’t gamble for a reason --- I’d probably lose all my money.

I am not excusing myself from my so-far dismal record. I will still pick my games each week with confidence. Again, you never know what could happen. I could win the rest of my picks this season.

Making predictions is fun and bold and exciting, but nothing is decided until the guys face off on the field Friday night.

Jessika Morgan is the sports editor of The Free Press. She can be reached at 252-559-1078 and Jessika.Morgan@Kinston.com.